Red and pink
by jin0uga
Summary: A lonely and tired Ruby vows that she would be the best she could be. Making her own decisions and doing what she desired, without fear of what the people around her might think. But of course, the path of self discovery is a very dangerous thing, especially when a dangerous criminal takes an interest in you. Slow burn romance. [Hiatus]
1. Chapter 1 : To end, is to begin again

**Disclaimer**: I don't own RWBY and other inconsequential things you don't need to know.

**Edited on 6/7/15**

* * *

_'Forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself. It's saying, 'You're not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.' It's saying, 'You don't get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.'_

_–Jodi Picoult _

* * *

"We're going over to team JNPR's room! Catch you later sis!" Yang called out to Ruby. The room was empty, their other team members having already gone to join their other friends. Only Yang had volunteered to stay behind to inform her little sister that she was going to have to spend yet another night by herself. She did feel slightly bad for abandoning Ruby, but Yang decided that the party was simply too good to pass up.

"H-Huh? But Yang, you guys promised that we'd have some team bonding tonight!" The voice responded from the bathroom, slightly muffled by the door in its way. Ruby stood at the sink, stunned from the sudden turn of events. "I-I mean, I even prepared the board games and everything!" She said, her chest hurting a little when she realized that her teammates were ditching her.

Again.

The girl was dressed in a black tank top with a cute little design printed on the front. Long comfy pants hung from her hips, the drawings of small pink roses standing out against the black silky material.

Ruby fidgeted as she waited for her sister to reply, the small hope that her sister would not leave her alone tonight growing stronger with each second of silence. Maybe Yang would not leave her after all. The saying that blood ran thicker than water flashed in her mind. They were half-sisters, but still. Maybe the saying still applied?

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Ruby's hopes were cruelly dashed at the sound of Yang's scoff.

"I know that rubes, but Nora got her hands on some alcohol. _Alcohol_! We won't know when something so awesome will come our way again." Yang whined, ignorant of her casual brush-off towards Ruby's plea. "And the only reason you can't come along is because you're underage!"

"You guys are underage too!"

"Yeah, by one year! Come on lil' sis. We can do team bonding and all that other jazz some other night." Yang said impatiently, her gaze leaving the bathroom gravitating towards the exit. Her usually calm eyes burned with excitement at the thought of guzzling down the forbidden liquid stowed somewhere in JNPR's dorm.

Unable to suppress her eagerness any longer, Yang began to bounce on the balls of her feet. The action was useless however, as she began to grow bored. Mind bubbling with irritation at the thought of her friends starting the party without her, the boxer _finally_ made the decision to bang her fist on the bathroom door. Silence reigned. She frowned at the lack of a response but didn't let up with the sudden barrage of knocks. And finally, at her fifth knock, the girl inside finally deigned the waiting party a reply.

"Fine! Do what you want!" Ruby shouted back, feeling the faint sting of tears in her eyes when she heard Yang whoop with unbridled glee. The young girl gripped the edge of the porcelain sink, her heart slowly shattering when she heard footsteps slowly growing further and further away. Feeling her throat unclench itself, she resisted the urge to rub her eyes with the edge of her top.

No longer having any motivation to hurry, Ruby sluggishly finished brushing her teeth and got ready for the night. The sight of an empty dorm room made her heart hurt, especially when she could hear the sound of laughter seeping through the paper thin walls. The laughter was eventually covered by the preppy tune of one of the latest pop songs, making Ruby bite her lip.

She knew that she wasn't the most sociable person to walk into Beacon, but the way she was being pushed aside was getting ridiculous. Yang did make an effort to include her in whatever activities they were doing, but Weiss and probably even Blake _still_ thought of her as a little girl.

It didn't help that she was aware of being 'different'. Different in the sense that she was no ordinary girl of fifteen. Had she not been as humble as she was, Ruby probably would've even described herself as a prodigy. She was capable and deadly. She knew it. Her team knew it. But unfortunately, knowing did _not_ mean accepting. Blake was more than a little put off by her naiveté, and Weiss only saw her as a childish, fairytale loving, weapon nut.

'_Maybe it's better like this.'_ She thought to herself and flopped onto the floor with a sigh. She grabbed her toolbox and her sweet heart, Crescent rose, changing it into its scythe form. Grabbing a whetstones, Ruby sat in the dimly lit room; sinking in the repetitive but comfortable sound of metal being sharpened. It was calming, and soon, the young girl was lulled into a Zen like mode as her arm dragged the whetstone up and down the pointed edge of the blade with practiced ease.

After ensuring that the edges were sharp enough, she set down the small blunt remains of the whetstone and grabbed a brown rag. If one looked carefully enough, they would've spotted a number of oil stains splattered on the cloth. She made sure to wipe and clean every nook and cranny of crescent rose. After wiping down all the way from the tip to the hilt, Ruby set down the cloth in grim satisfaction.

A glance at the clock showed that it was only 9pm.

The feeling of loneliness came rushing back like a tidal wave, slamming into her like how waves slammed against the rough surfaces of Cliffside rocks, slowly sanding off their grainy surfaces.

Desperate to keep her mind occupied, she hunted around for Ember Celica. After some time, she concluded that Yang had left it in her locker. Ruby was at a loss, Weiss would definitely murder her in her sleep if she ever so much as breathed on Myrtenaster. The only other weapon left to perform maintenance on was Gambol shroud, and it was _never ever_ away from Blake for more than a few moments. Not to mention that her brooding team mate would snap at whomever tried to touch it. She was as protective of it as Yang was of her hair. All in all, Ruby found herself with nothing to do, except drown in her own misery.

'_This sucks.' _Her mind griped. _'Is it really so difficult to include me in anything?' _

Forgetting that Crescent rose was still in her scythe form, Ruby fidgeted in agitation and slid the flat surface of her palms over the blade…and promptly squealed when her palm suddenly felt like it was on fire. Thick viscous liquid flowed from the wound, zigzagging across her pale skin. Quickly folding her weapon into its compact form, a panicked Ruby darted into the bathroom to wash and clean the cut. Having an infection was the last thing she needed right now.

The cooling sensation of water felt nice, and she was temporarily distracted the shimmering liquid. After a minute, she caught herself wandering off to dreamland and quickly shut off the tap when the water sputtered from the head. "Crap." She said with a wince, berating herself internally for wasting so much water. And then, she tilted her head up…and gasped.

Ruby stared at her reflection.

Under the bright fluorescent lights, the girl could see dark rings surrounding her silver eyes. Faint flashes of memory skipped through her head, and she saw her past self-staying up late for countless nights; worried sick about her team mates when they didn't turn up for dinner.

But that wasn't the only thing she noticed.

Her eyes held nary an emotion. They looked dead. _Exhausted_, even. They no longer held the usual child-like sparkle; which would usually light up any room she walked in to. Her breathing ceased, momentarily shocked by her discovery. Silver irises suddenly flashed with bitterness and resentment, and Ruby found herself rearing her head back. She couldn't recognize the person in the mirror. That was not…_could not_ be Ruby Rose. Not this sad, shell of person who peered into the reflective glass. But who else could it be, if not her?

Her crimson tipped red hair flopped limply at the jerk of her head, and she reached up to curl a few of its strands around her finger. She pulled. It winded and she let go, only for the strands to slap her forehead, eerily akin to dead branches striking against frost tinted windows during the dead of winter.

She blanched.

She couldn't avoid the harsh truth. No matter how much her mind tried to justify itself, Ruby _knew_.

This was her. _This_ was what she had become, what she had been reduced to. She looked as if death had come knocking on her door and swooped in to claim her, only that it hadn't and she was still living and breathing. Just what had made her into…_this_? This pathetic shell of her former self. She could faintly recognize the disgust curling in her gut as she looked at herself, really _looked_. The current her was nothing more than a mere puppet, a puppet who was controlled by the whims and opinions of other people.

But what struck Ruby as cruel, was that fact that her own 'friends' and 'family' had shaped her into _this_. She didn't know who to blame, who to pin the crime on; the crime of destroying her.

Maybe Yang? Or should it be Weiss? Or even Blake?

Her mind halted, and she took in a deep shuddering breath that rattled her bones. Ruby knew that pointing the fingers at someone else was useless. She could say that they lead her down this path, yes, but ultimately, she was her own person. And it stood to reason, that Ruby Rose had indeed, dug her _own_ grave. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Her heart thundered. With shaky breaths, Ruby forced herself to stare at her reflection, willingly burning the image into the back of her eyelids so that she would remember it for as long as she lived. Raising her arms, she slammed her palms onto the sink and screamed. The shrillness of it made her body shudder and her ears ache, but it served to clear her mind.

'_Enough is enough.' _

Ruby thought feverishly, glaring at the rough, calloused skin of her hands.

'_I won't let this go on for any longer. This stupid sham of a life.'_

Her back straightened, and she stood up taller than she'd ever done before.

"I promise," She said with not a tremble with her voice, "that I am going to improve myself and fly, fly higher than anyone else. Even if things get tough, I will stand my ground and _refuse_ to be dragged down by anyone ever again. Not by my enemies…and definitely _not_ by my friends."

The words felt entirely foreign on her tongue and she winced she felt the undisguised hurt and anger pulsing within her words. Shame flitted across her face at such a declaration but she refused to back down. If Ruby could not admit this to herself, she would never grow. She would be forced to endure this charade of a life and be forced to give up things she didn't want to just for the sake of her team.

A team who couldn't even be bothered with her, let alone give up something for her. The irony was not lost on her, and she forced down the emotions threatening to take over and took a firmer stance, planting her feet side by side.

"I, Ruby Rose…" She said, "Am going to _soar_."


	2. Chapter 2 : Walking down her new path

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or its characters. Only the sun, moon and the stars are mine. (**Lol what was I thinking when i wrote this? XD)**

_Edited on 7/3/2015_

* * *

**Several months later**

* * *

Snapping on her red cloak, Ruby let out a stiff sigh and began to gather, then stack the various books scattered across the table; one book atop of the other. When the tower of books were neat enough to her liking, she started clearing away the empty soda cans lying in a piled up at one corner of her study table, a testament to her late nights. When her desk was clean enough to be eaten off, she mentally congratulated herself on a job well done, and made her way to Crescent Rose, who had been resting against the wall.

Ruby strode briskly across the room and was heading straight for the exit when Yang spoke.

"Going somewhere sis?"

It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

Ruby hesitated for a fraction, her momentum coming to a halt as she turned to look at her sister. She nodded in response, taking in how relaxed the two were. Yang eyed her from Blake's lap; the mane of gold standing out against the blacks and whites. Ruby would have cared about her sister's tone before, but now, it barely registered in her mind. Lilac eyes bored into her, the edges of Yang's mouth tilting downwards.

"Where to?" She asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Ruby answered, a single eyebrow raising.

"Duh!" She scoffed. "I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to worry about you!"

The leader of team RWBY squashed down the urge to laugh. She could smell the bullshit from a mile away. Oh how glorious it was for her _dear_ sister to be worried about something as asinine as going out. And where exactly was this worry coming from? Yang hadn't blinked an eye when she disappeared for hours on end previously. Hell, the girl hadn't even noticed that her 'precious little sister' was never invited out for their group outings. Talk about selective sight.

"That's a pretty dumb thing to worry about." She sniped. "And sorry, but I don't think this concerns you. See you tonight. _If_ you guys are even going to be here that is." She finished calmly, her gaze taking in the surprised looks on Blake and Yang's faces. Ruby didn't like to take such a passive aggressive way of insulting them, but she lacked the energy to just start a full out screaming match. She'd promise herself to rein the snarkiness in. Just because they did wrong to her didn't mean they she had make their lives hell. If she did, she would be no better than bastards like Cardin.

With nothing else left to say, the girl swiftly exited the room, shutting the door with a soft click. The sound of finality let Ruby relax and as she trudged down the hallway, she pulled out her scroll; fingers flying across the glowing keyboard.

* * *

"What was that about…?"

Blake asked and looked up from the world of splendid but dark tales of her newest book. Staring at the spot where Ruby had previously stood, she then looked over to Yang questioningly. In a fashion typical of her, her girlfriend shrugged carelessly (uneasily) and settled back down. But she didn't miss the fleeting glances which Yang threw at the heavy wooden door. With a sigh she snapped her book shut and placed it beside her. Tapping into her resource of infinite patience (a byproduct of dating Yang) Blake silently waited for her to speak.

Meanwhile, the blonde brawler was fighting with her inner dilemma. Yang did not want to burden her lover with her troubles, and yet she felt the strangeness of everything that had been happening over the past few months, beginning to wear down on her decision.

The weirdness of her sister's attitude hadn't escaped her notice. Ever since Team JNPR's impromptu alcohol party (or shindig as Nora named it), something about Ruby felt…off. It would had been no problem, the girl was a teenager after all, except for the itty bitty realization that Ruby's attitude towards the team and things in general seemed to have become, simply put, _colder_.

It was disturbing. She would even describe it as insanely unsettling.

Ruby Rose was not cold. Even the mere thought was _unconceivable_. She was the one made of cotton candy, the one who could light up the room with a single grin, the one who made babies gurgle with laughter.

Ruby didn't do _'cold'_.

To make things more worrying, each time she tried to snoop around for to find out what she was doing or working on, the red haired girl would just disappear somewhere in a flurry of red rose petals. Every question would be dodged and the very few answers given were just some straight up rubbish that Yang could tell was pulled out of her ass, and the strangeness of it all was really starting to wear her nerves down.

Tilting her head to meet a warm amber gaze, she stared at Blake for several moments before the words escaped her pursed lips into the warm, tepid air.

"Hey Blake…"

The cat Faunus perked up when she heard her partner's worried voice and met her unsteady gaze, the gleam of lilac clashing with the shine of bright amber. "What is it, Yang?" She asked cautiously, her fingers running through the blonde locks with aching slowness.

The girl in question twiddled her thumbs in contemplation and boredom. A few scant seconds passed before she spoke again. "Don't you think Ruby's been acting really strange lately?" She said, with a tinge of worry colouring her words.

"Now that you brought it up…" Blake focused on a particularly dark spot on the ceiling, her mind dredging up memories, flashes, of when she noticed her leader's strange behavior. Swallowing roughly, she fiddled with the pages of her book. "She _has_ been acting rather weird lately." She said. Yang shifted nervously as her fears were confirmed. She didn't want to believe it, but Ruby was definitely hiding something from her. From them.

"Ruby used to be swathed in a gentle scent of roses, but now–"

Amber eyes met lilac ones.

"She mostly just smells of oil, dirt and sweat." She said. "The scent isn't all that new either. And to be honest, I'm just surprised that I hadn't caught it before." Blake shut her book with a thud. Yang sighed in frustration and threw her hands up. "Arghh this is killing me!" She exclaimed. Pulling herself up from her girlfriend's lap, she started pacing up and down their small dorm room. Blake rolled her eyes. Trust her partner to nearly burn holes into their carpet. It would be better to stop her now before she made any lasting damage to the furry thing. Weiss would throw a fit, and then it would be practically impossible to get another moment's peace.

"Why don't you just ask Ruby?" The cat Faunus asked dryly and tugged Yang's shoulder to make her calm down. This seemed to rile the girl up even more, her lilac eyes flickering between red and lilac. Yang scowled. "If it was that easy, I would've done it a long time ago!" she replied angrily and began to kick the wall, leaving several unsightly black marks. The action was repeated several more times, followed by a barrage of curses. "Shit shit shit. God dammit all."

Blake shook her head slightly and stepped forward to wrap her partner in a loose hug. This seemed to calm Yang down slightly and with a large sigh, she relaxed into the embrace and buried her head into the Faunus's neck, nuzzling it gently. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Yang." Blake murmured quietly and began to stroke through the golden locks. Gently untangling some knotted strands; she blushed when Yang let out a small purr. "Ruby's a big girl anyway. You know that she can take care of herself."

"I know that…" Yang mumbled. She looked up into the comforting yellow eyes of her lover. "But there is always going to be a part of me that is protective of her Y'know?" She said dejectedly. "After her mom died, Ruby was crushed. I was the only one who understood what she was going through, what with my mom disappearing and all."

Yang sniffled a little at the sad memories which trickled into her mind. Blake just kept silent, knowing that she needed to vent. It was obvious that Yang was pretty stressed out recently. She led them over to their bed again and gently lowered their bodies onto the soft mattress.

"There were some nights that Ruby would wake up screaming. But…the funny thing was, was that she never bothered me or dad with her nightmares. She just bottled it all up. I could hear her on those nights when the nightmares were _really_ bad. I could hear her whimpering from all the way across the room. It got worse when she started crying. Then, the idiot would just cover her face with summer's red cloak and continued sobbing until she fell asleep."

Yang chuckled, a sense of sick nostalgia overwhelming her. Even now when she thought about those days, it still made her regret not ever lifting a finger to help her little sister. Her younger self needed a good ass kicking.

"So yeah…sometimes I forget that Ruby's growing up. She always acts so childish and stuff but there are times that she says something so _sad_ that it just makes you want to coddle her." Yang muttered as she curled into Blake's protective hold. The cat Faunus hummed in understanding and nuzzled Yang's neck. It wasn't everyday she allowed herself to be the little spoon. Blake knew that those moments were few and far between. The boxer usually considered herself as the protector, and never the protected. It made Blake want to squeeze her and never let go, if only for a short time.

"We're all in the same boat, Yang." She told her partner honestly. "Age doesn't equate to maturity. We've all been through certain things that we never should have. But we come out stronger and better because of it." She said. "Although Ruby is two years younger than all of us, she's smarter than we give her credit for. I know this sounds rich coming from me, but really, I think Ruby just needs to figure it out on her own. She'll come around eventually." Blake's cat ears twitched slightly when Yang sighed again. She pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, smiling shyly when the blonde gave her a sappy grin. "Ruby could just be working on crescent rose. You know how she obsessed she is, with that scythe of hers."

A small snort. "It's actually a sniper scythe, kitty." Came the cheeky response.

"Quiet, Yang." Blake shushed. "Don't ruin the moment."

"C'mon…way to _shoot_ me down Blakey."

.

.

.

"Yang?"

"Sup'?"

"I hate you."

"Aww, I love you too."

* * *

**Somewhere in Vale**

* * *

The sweltering heat of the furnace danced across her skin. The girl felt beads of sweat rolling down her temples but refused to wipe them away. She didn't want to mess this up. Not after so many so many failures. With shaky hands, Ruby began hammering the softened metal into its desired form. Ruby was not in danger of getting hurt, for she wore specially crafted gloves with dust weaved into its simple patterns, negating the searing heat of the newly heated metal.

Ruby was grasped the dagger tightly, the tough rubber handle biting into the rough material of her glove. Her actions were quick. After the first two months of practicing and learning more about smithing (adding to her already basic knowledge), she had finally taken the leap of faith to create something far more powerful. Her mentor had cautioned her that this was no easy task, but the twinkle in his eyes had ultimately pushed her to execute her plan. The image of a new and improved crescent rose made her blood sing in excitement, and with one final knock, she dunked the finished piece into a waiting water bath. The metal sizzled at the sudden change in temperature, clouds of steam rising from the water bath, making the room even more humid.

"Thank dust I didn't break it again." Ruby said aloud, the exhaustion finally hitting her. She glanced out of the window and groaned aloud, what she saw destroying any semblance of a good mood. The vibrant orange hues of the setting sun cast large shadows of the nearby trees onto the ground and on the walls of the modestly sized building.

The momentary distraction had allowed the metal piece to cool, and so, lifting the cooled body of crescent rose. She placed the body beside several other parts she had made today, including a newer, better grip for her beloved. She hummed in excitement, a small grin stretching the sides of her mouth. She couldn't wait until she fixed Crescent Rose up. Stepping over the pieces of broken metal strewn all over the floor, she made her way towards the window.

Although not yet nighttime, Ruby knew that by the time she took the airship back to beacon, she would reach much later than the supposed school imposed curfew. Her team would be bombarding her with pointless questions of her whereabouts and activities. Ruby had already made it clear that she was _not_ going to reveal whatever she was doing.

Yang refused to take the hint and still pestered her for answers. Weiss was too busy fretting about this or that to ever care about what she was doing. Blake was…neutral? She didn't seem to be interested in anything other than Yang, her books, and Yang. Did she already mention Yang?

A sudden knock on the back door broke her out of her reverie.

"Ruby? It's getting pretty late, are you leaving soon?" The man yelled from outside. "Glynda made me promise to get you home _before_ curfew. Heaven knows what she'll do if she catches you sneaking into Beacon again."

"OH DUST I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" She yelled back, her voice filled with terror. No matter how 'badass' she was going to be, she definitely _did not_ want eternal detention. Professor Goodwitch had already threatened her with extra homework! It was the woman's way of bettering her but god damn it, doing extra homework (willingly) was just pushing it.

Ruby stumbled on her own feet in her haste to put everything away and yelped in pain when she swung her arms a little too wide, smashing her elbow on the brick wall of the furnace. The combination of heat and pain was enough to make her eyes water. Cursing herself for her clumsiness, Ruby became a blur as she hurriedly put her tools away.

"You better hurry! There's no telling when the next airship will come."

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she said in frustration.

"I doubt it." Her mentor replied, his voice containing a hint of amusement.

"Ugh – you know what I mean!" Ruby whined.

Leaning against the wall of his workshop, Jack Ironwood chuckled merrily. Although he couldn't see her face, he just knew that she was making those adorable puppy eyes. Her pout could turn even the hardiest of men into jelly. Grinning, he purposely knocked on the door again, feeling slightly playful.

"The clock is ticking!" Jack called.

"Can it!" Came the muffled yell of one rapidly moving Ruby.

"Oh, what's that? You want me to tell Ozpin that his scarf is ugly? And that you volunteer for campus cleanup? Sure thing!"

As if on cue, Ruby appeared in front of him in a tornado of rose petals. "Okay okay, I'm done!"

"Finally." He smiled. "I know that your semblance is speed, but I didn't know that included running your mouth off."

"Har har." She sulked.

"I'm just kidding, you brat." He ruffled her hair, making her squeak in surprise and mild annoyance. But the sparkle in those silver eyes reaffirmed that the jokes were appreciated. He wondered about the last time someone her age had even bothered to laugh with her, and not without her.

"Before you get going, I just wanted to let you know that your pay's been transferred to your account." He said. She opened her mouth to complain but he cut her off with a wave of his hand and a good natured eye roll. "It's only one day early, Ruby. Goodness, you must be the first teenager I've ever met that hates to get paid early."

Ruby groaned. She didn't like to get her due if she hadn't earned it. Getting her monthly pay earlier than the supposed date made her feel bad. Like she was cheating him out or something. "That's just how I am. You know me, the ole stick in the mud." She shrugged. And immediately regretted it when the bruise on her elbow protested at the motion.

Her face soured. '_Stupid wall…_' She grumbled. She made a mental note to apply something for the bruise slash light burn as Jack tucked a small bag of cookies in her cloak pocket. "Here's something to tide you over for the ride back. Now go! You're already late." He shooed. Bidding him goodbye, the girl scurried out of the shop and into the street. Shooting a parting glance at the named shop '_**Jack's Weapon and Armor Emporium' **_she sped down the empty dirt path leading to the main road. The streets were still littered with people, but Ruby had no trouble weaving in and out of the crowd.

Barely catching the departing airship, she heaved a sigh of relief as she all but raced up the ramp and into the ship. As it began to rise into the air, her scroll beeped once, then twice, signaling that it had received a message. Flipping it open, she let out a small laugh when she saw who it was from.

_[**Jack Ironwood**_

_I don't know how you cleaned up that mess in the workshop so quickly, and for that I salute you. I've moved Crescent Rose's upgrades into the shop, so don't go messing up the storeroom again, alright? I still don't know where you've placed my 'kiss the smith' apron. _

_Anyway, the shop will be receiving a new order for a custom made weapon next week, so remember to come in at your usual time. _

_See you next week, kid. ]_

* * *

**New AN: **I made their dynamic more like friends than mentor and mentee. I think it turned out okay! If you want to read the old chapter though, just hit me up with a PM and I'll send you the doc. And now, on to the next chapter!

**Old AN: **I used Wikipedia and made up some stuff about the blacksmithing part. Sorry if it seems weird or anything. Thank you for all those follows and reviews. You guys make me happy. :)

And of course, foreshadowing anyone?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own RWBY or its characters.

**AN:** Holy shit, over 70 followers and 41 favs! You guys are seriously awesome. I want to thank the reviewers for fuelling my muse as well! I wrote down the plan for the next few chapters on my notebook, so hopefully i don't lose it. And fear not, Neo will be appearing in the next chapter!

On another note, did anybody see the last episode of RWBY? I am so fucking in love with coco right now. When i saw her, my mind was just like KABLAMO! And then this song, started playing in my head. **'Her name is coco and she is loco, i say oh no!'. **If anybody guess which anime this is from, i'll give you a cookie.

And because of that, i'll be making this a Weiss x Coco fic. Muahahaha. I can't for the life of me, figure out how to use tumblr. I see so much art there that i get inspired easily, but for the fics, i think i'll stick to FF because i am clueless on how to freaking use sites like tumblr. Gosh.

* * *

Ruby bounced in her seat, the excitement getting the better of her. Weiss shot her a vapid glare when her own chair puffed up suddenly before turning to her partner and mouthed '_sit still you dolt'_. Once the bouncing had more or less tapered off, the heiress nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention back to Professor Port.

Weiss was rather excited. Why you ask? Today was the day which the students were handed back their results from the many classes. She was confident that she would get an 'A' as usual. Call her you want, but getting the highest grade in the _first_ class would no doubt set the tone for the rest of the day. Schnee's were the best, the crème de la crème so to speak. Although being part of team RWBY had softened her competitive nature somewhat, Weiss was still dead set upon being the best.

Professor Port finally arrived to the part all the students had been waiting for. Even Yang stopped doodling on her piece of scrap paper and perked up to listen.

"Alright students! I am happy to say that this semester's results were a vast improvement!"

He broke off and laughed jovially. Walking back to his desk, he retrieved a big stack of papers which everyone eyed in fear or trepidation.

"Many students scored well. However, only one may stand at the peak in exaltation as the best!" he declared soulfully and nearly flung the papers out of his hand. The students in the room nearly breathed a sigh of relief when his speech began to die down.

"The student who obtained the best grade for my class is…"

Weiss adjusted her Tiara and puffed her chest out pride fully. Secretivly glancing out of the corner of her eye at the previously top student, Pyrrha, she smirked to herself and was prepared to stand up when–

"…Miss Ruby Rose!"

Weiss nearly fell out of her seat. The girl beside her stood up cheerily and went down from her place to collect her paper, which had a big fat '98' stamped on the front. Ruby whistled happily as she sank back into her seat, eying her paper with a large smile on her face. The cookie-lover failed to notice however, that her partner was glaring at her with such intensity, that the students sitting in the other side of the room whimpered and shrunk back at the poisonous gaze.

Blake and Yang had to pick up their jaws from the ground, eyes widening at the fact that _Ruby_ of all people was the top of the class. She was two years younger than them for dust's sake! Ruby never scored that well for her best class last semester. Usually, her scores were far below team RWBY's due to the fact that she had skipped two years of classes and did not have as much knowledge as they did.

Oblivious to their shocked gazes, Ruby whistled a jolly tune as the class was dismissed and headed for her next one. Yang saw her sister leave and turned to Blake. "We'll ask her about it later." She assured, knowing that the cat Faunus shared the next class with Ruby.

Blake nodded and grimaced when her girlfriend hiked her thumb backwards, pointing towards a rapidly reddening Weiss. Yang sighed. "I gotta do some damage control before she blows Beacon to bits." She said dryly and Blake shot her a sympathetic look.

When the heiress was mad, the sheer _force_ of it would even make Ozpin cower a little.

* * *

"I. Cannot. Believe. This."

Weiss roared angrily as she paced up and down the room. Today had been an utter disaster. Actually, to say that it was a disaster would still be the understatement of the century. Not only did she not score the top marks for every subject, but Ruby – _Ruby _of all people had scored the highest marks for every single subject, barring the ones which the smaller girl excelled in such as combat classes.

Weiss didn't even have the luck to get second place. Pyrrha had gotten it, meaning that the heiress was pushed down to a measly third place. _Third_ place! If her family caught wind of this, she would ship her back to the mansion herself!

Meanwhile, Yang sat on her bed coolly as she watched her teammate beginning to suffer from a mental breakdown. She would have loved to poked fun at the heiress now, but unfortunately, Yang could do without a rapier being shoved up her butt.

"Will you settle down, princess?" The blonde said and tried to calm the raging girl down. She inched away slightly when she received a dark glare in return. "Third place isn't really that bad!" Yang tried again. Weiss froze in her tracks. The room's temperature dropped suddenly as the heiress turned her anger on the blonde.

"Not that bad? Not that _bad_?!" She screeched. "Yang Xiao Long, so help me if you say one more word–"

Blake shoved the room door open, deciding that it was time to intervene before her girlfriend was slaughtered.

"Ruby's here!" the cat Faunus interrupted. Yang breathed a sigh of relief and shot her a thankful glance. Somehow, she felt as if she just escaped death by a hair's breath. '_Never again._' Yang shuddered and this time, moved herself even further from the heiress.

While Blake joined Yang on her bed, Weiss's attention was now focused on a confused looking Ruby who was standing at the doorway. "Get inside!" The heiress snapped. Her partner obliged and quickly stepped into the room.

Upon shutting the door with a loud bang, Weiss directed her glare towards Ruby and placed her hands on her hips in a show of intimidation.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

Weiss demanded, scowling angrily.

"What do you mean, what I did?"

"Don't play dumb with my Ruby rose!" She barked, causing said girl to wince at the shrillness of the voice.

"How did _you_ top every single class?"

Ruby shrugged. "I studied."

"Obviously!" The heiress exploded. "How could you go from a B minus average, to an A? You even beat Pyrrha for dust sake!"

"I had a lot of time!" Ruby snapped, getting annoyed with her partner. What the hell did they want from her? The only reason she studied so hard was because her 'friends' never invited her along when they went out. There was only so much weapon improvements she could do before Crescent rose became too heavy to carry.

"Don't tell me…" Ruby's thoughts were interrupted when Weiss's tone turned accusatory. "You cheated off someone didn't you?" She said, her voice rising higher and higher. Yang felt her hackles rise up at that. This was going way too far. There was no way that a person like Ruby would cheat. Her sister couldn't even lie without breaking into sweats and apologizing after. Dust, she was practically the poster girl for innocence!

Blake must have had the same thoughts because she pushed herself off the bed and was beginning to move towards the arguing pair. "Weiss…that's going a little too far." The cat Faunus warned.

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

"Fuck you, Weiss!"

Ruby yelled angrily. She could feel tears beginning to build, but pushed them down in favour of setting her damned _partner_ straight. Weiss went from stunned to enraged in two seconds flat. Blake and Yang were shaken up. Ruby never cursed. Heck, even they didn't curse! To hear something like that from their leader was…

"What did you–!"

"You heard what I said." Ruby answered in a much softer voice. Silver eyes gleaming with hurt and anger, Ruby met her teammate's respective gazes. They all cringed at what they saw.

"From the time we became a team, you never included me in anything. You guys and team JNPR always spend time together, but what about _me_?! I tried and I tried. Am I still not good enough for you?" Ruby continued, her voice cracking painfully. "We've barely even spoken for the past few months, and you…_you _still say I'm cheating?! Well I'm not okay! Every time you all went out to have fun, I was at the library! Studying until my fingers were numb because I wanted you to be proud!"

Team RWBY's expressions varied from horrified to guilty. Weiss felt the bite of guilt at the back of her throat when she saw how hurt Ruby was. Not just by her comment, but by _all_ their actions from the past few months.

"Sis…" Yang began and stepped forward to embrace her, but was hurt when Ruby took a step back, burying herself into her red cloak. Silver eyes met lilac ones, and Yang recoiled at the votile emotions displayed plainly on them.

"You didn't even defend me, Yang." Ruby said, and the disappointed tone cut through her older sister's heart like a blade. "You too, Blake. It's not just about what Weiss said, but what you did. What you _all_ did."

Ruby tore her gaze away from her team members. "I want to be alone. Don't look for me." She told them quietly and before any of them could react, disappeared in a flash of rose petals.

* * *

**Line break**

* * *

The headmaster of Beacon academy eyed the young girl before him. Although his face was blank, she could sense the undertone of pity behind his piercing gaze. Ruby couldn't meet his eyes, but instead focused her gaze on his dark oak desk.

He spoke first, breaking the silence.

"Ruby, are you sure that this is the best way?"

He paused.

"Everyone makes mistakes. I am not saying that you should forgive them right away, but is a move as drastic as this needed…?"

Ruby sighed. "I just need to be alone for some time, headmaster." She said softly. "I don't want to hurt them."

She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"And I don't want them to hurt _me_."

Ozpin nodded slowly. "If you're sure. I have already contacted Jack Ironwood. He seems receptive of the idea. But make no mistake Ruby, allowing you to take a short break does not mean you are dropping out of Beacon." He addressed her sternly. "The only reason that you are allowed to do this, is because you have proven yourself worthy of the school's trust. Your marks have been impeccable this semester and even Miss Goodwitch had given her consent."

Ruby nodded stiffly. "I understand."

He sighed. "Very well. You will be allowed to stay with Jack Ironwood for the entirety of this short holiday, spanning three weeks." He finished and stood up from his seat. "I will inform team RWBY about this at a later date."

"Thank you, Headmaster. Thank you." Ruby said breathlessly before giving a short bow and leaving the room.

She didn't want to spend the three week long holiday in the empty dorm room again. Ruby was still hurt by what Weiss said, and although she knew that she would eventually forgive her –all of them– it would take time. Time and distance.

Hopefully, the next three weeks would allow all of them, including her, to cool down. But, in all dark clouds, there was a silver lining.

'_Thank dust for this. At least I can work on the new weapon order without worrying about getting back on time.' _


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.

**AN: **I'm late. So very very late. I got into maple again and ended up pumping a shit load of hours into it. I blame my friend for pushing me to download extalia. :P And to add to that, I kept getting so many fic ideas. Also, I will be starting my part time job next week but it won't affect my fanfic updates that much since I clock off in the late afternoon. Phew. But holy shit **114**** follows **and **74 favourites**?! I love you guys so much! You all make me so happy and feed my muse as well! Hopefully this chapter makes up for my absence. Enjoy. Let me know what you think about the ending and what you think the future chapters will be like!

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the dingy brown curtains, shining right on the closed lids of a certain red haired girl. Ruby groaned lowly, lifting up her hand to shield herself from the offending ray of light. Why couldn't the world just leave her alone? Flipping herself, she turned her body to face the wall, sighing when she was plunged back into darkness. She was beginning to drift off again, the call of sleep lulling her deeper and deeper until…her alarm clock began blaring.

"Oh dust why…?" Ruby moaned tiredly, a hand reaching out to shut off the alarm clock. She fumbled around for a few seconds, looking for the traitorous piece of blaring metal. Finding it and almost knocking it over, she shut it off with a slam, and was about to bury her head into the pillow _again, _when a knock sounded at the door.

"Ruby? I know that you're awake."

Jack called in amusement from the other side of the door. He heard her groan in response. With a chuckle, he knocked again. This time, he was rewarded with a yell of "I'm up, I'm up!" Nodding his head in triumph, he plodded away and descended down the steps to the living room.

Ruby grumbled under her breath as she reluctantly plucked herself from under the warm woolly blankets. For a split second, her hazy mind confused the single bed as a bunk bed and as she looked down, the girl almost expected to see the angry scowl of her partner followed by the soft snickering of Yang and Blake.

She blinked.

The image was gone, replaced by the dull wooden flooring. Ruby shook her head slightly. Even though she was angry at her team, it was unnerving to be separated from them. Despite them not paying attention to her, she still took some sort of comfort in seeing them in the flesh. And then, the anger from _that_ day came flooding back to her; making her clench her fists. The longing faded away almost instantly.

Pushing the thoughts of them out of her mind, the huntress in training headed towards the small bathroom and got ready for the day.

* * *

"Well well, look who decided to join the land of the living?" Jack teased as he flipped the pancake into the air. The uncooked side found itself facing the black metal pan when the man pressed his spatula against the back of it.

Ruby, dressed in her usual cloak and black and red outfit, gave him a playful glare as she settled down at the table. "Why do I have to wake up so early during a holiday?" She whined, grabbing a clean plate and handing it to him. Jack chuckled heartily and took her plate, piling it up with golden brown pancakes. The girl felt her mouthwatering as she eyed them. As soon as he set the plate down in front of her, Ruby pounced, swiftly cutting the flapjacks with her knife before chomping them down with an expression of pure bliss.

"11 is usually not considered early, my dear girl." He told her, taking a plate of his own and filling it up with hash browns and sausages. He sat down in the seat opposite hers, his large build dwarfing the modestly sized wooden table. Calmly, he began eating his breakfast while Ruby continued inhaling all of her food. The late morning breakfast was spent in silence as the two individuals quietly ate/gobbled their respective meals. Ruby finished her pancakes with a happy sigh, taking a slow sip from her cup.

She made a face when she tasted the bitter liquid. Jack noticed this and laughed. He had forgotten that she was not a fan of coffee, black or not. '_No sense in letting it go to waste._' He thought in amusement and pushed the small tin of sugar towards her. Ruby brightened and grabbed the tiny spoon, ignoring the raised brow as she shoveled spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her cup. She took another sip. "Much better." She mused aloud, taking several more mouthfuls.

Jack swallowed the last of his hash browns and took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, the movement causing the girl to look up in curiosity. He glanced at the paper before handing it to her.

"The list of things you have to do today." He clarified when she just looked confused. "Since you'll be staying here for the next three weeks, you'll have to help out around the house too. Y'know, earn your keep and all that."

Jack grinned when Ruby's nose wrinkled up in distaste. Despite all her talent with weapons, she was still a kid, he mused thoughtfully.

"I already got the weapon blueprints ready. Since you won't need to travel back to Beacon, I gather that we will be able to finish this earlier than planned." He continued. "The customer may check on your progress so I advise you to work hard, Ruby."

He smiled kindly when she paled. Jack reached over to pat her head.

"Don't worry; I'll be supervising you too. And you've done great work in the past few months, so I'm sure you will do just fine." He assured her. Ruby gave him a weak smile. She sincerely hoped that he was right. This was her first time making a weapon not for herself, but for someone else instead.

Jack muttered a 'heave-ho' as he got out of his seat. He grabbed both their plates and made his way over to the sink. Ruby stared at the piece of paper in her hands. '_Might as well get started_.' She thought wryly.

* * *

Ruby dunked the steaming hot metal into the water bath, the weight of it straining her arms. She carefully maneuvered her arm and wiped the sweat which had gathered on her forehead using her sleeve. Suddenly, the timer beeped, shattering the calmness of the room. The girl felt a scowl forming, her concentration broken. The offending instrument continued beeping noisily, and Ruby glared at it with distaste.

Thankfully, the timer quieted down soon enough, allowing the girl to go back to whatever she was doing. Lifting the long and thin piece of metal from the small metal tub, she swiftly brought it over to the workshop table where she began meticulously sharpening one end of the blade with one of the many machines. Once that was done, the girl held it up in the light, smirking when the tip of the blade gleamed proudly. Ruby placed the finished component alongside a black lacquered hilt.

It strangely resembled the grip of an umbrella, but Ruby was paid no heed to it. After all, she did carry a giant, sniper scythe. Taking a glance at the blue prints, her eyes skimmed over the details and stopped when she came to the word parasol, which had been underlined twice. She shrugged. Parasol, umbrella. Tomato tomato.

Taking off her gloves, Ruby placed them atop the blueprints before stretching. She sighed when she felt her bones pop back into place and glanced at the clock. "Time for lunch." She thought with a smile. Her stomach was starting to make the rumblies that only _cookies_ could fulfill.

* * *

The late afternoon sun beat down on Ruby's head as she walked from her own small workshop towards the two-story shop house. Entering through the back door, she waltzed through the small hallway and into the kitchen. The store part of the house was blocked off from the home part by a brown sliding door.

Ruby hummed a small tune as she slowly rifled through the fridge for her weekday lunch, licking her lips when she found the small packet of walnut cookies and a jug of cold milk. Jack had persuaded her to use his fridge like it was her own, quoting 'What's mine is yours' and forcing her to at least store some of her favourite food stuffs in there. Her mind travelled back to the time several months ago when she had first started working.

She had slowly but surely begun to open up to the kind but sometimes rough, older man. He helped her deal with her loneliness, acting as a pillar of strength for the young girl. When Ruby had told him how her teammates had practically ignored her existence and that it was killing her from the inside out, he took her aside and regarded her seriously.

"_You have to understand, Ruby, that the world is not as kind as your fairy tales make it seem. Sadly, it is a place where the weak are crushed and forgotten while the strong take everything. Accept that life is unfair. Try to learn to rely on yourself, as you will discover that no one knows your needs better than you._

_Yes, humans are social creatures. But at the end of the day, the relationships are formed to benefit only themselves. You are not weak for feeling loneliness, sadness or anger. These are the common traits that bind all of humanity together. Use these negative emotions to improve yourself. Become so good they can't ignore you. And when their eyes fall on you again, make them regret for ever throwing you aside." _

She felt her lips curve up in a small smile. It was a nice feeling to be cared for, Ruby thought to herself as she munched on cookie after cookie. Pausing, she took a sip from her glass, shuddering slightly when the cool liquid slid down her throat. As the girl downed her calcium fortified drink, the sudden snippets of a conversation could be heard through the wooden door. One of the voices she identified was Jack's. The low timbre of his voice was one of a kind, or maybe it was because she had spent so much time working here that his voice was now imprinted into her mind.

" –or nothing. We had a deal!" A male's voice seeped into the silent kitchen. The sentence was followed by a guttural growl. Ruby frowned, her eyebrows scrunching. For some reason, it sounded so familiar…

"–do. I make no promises." Jack responded coolly. The tone of his voice made the girl's skin tingle with unease. She never heard her employer sound like _that_.

The sounds tapered off, and Ruby bent forward in her chair, debating on whether to get up and investigate; when Jack walked into a kitchen. His usually sunny disposition was marred by an angry scowl. It made him look older than he really was and a lot more dangerous than he usually seemed. The man spotted Ruby frozen in her seat, and the scowl quickly melted into a familiar smile.

"Oh…was it really that loud?" He asked sheepishly, making his way to the fridge. The man seemed to have realized Ruby had been eavesdropping on him. She flushed a little at getting caught. "How much of it did you hear?"

"J-Just a little. Was that a customer?"

"Yeah…" He responded, taking a swig from his drink. "You could say that he was an unsatisfied customer."

Ruby's head shot up in disbelief. "Unsatisfied?" She said, sounding slightly stupefied. "Your shop sells the highest quality parts I've ever seen!" The girl defended passionately. "Compared to some other shops, yours is definitely one of the best." She muttered, recalling the unsavory times she had bought some expensive 'high quality' parts for crescent rose, only to find them defective.

Jack shrugged. "Well, some people just can't be pleased." He concluded with a small smile. Mood fairly improved, Ruby beamed at him and continued eating her cookies. Finishing up her lunch/mid-day snack, she bid him goodbye and returned to her sweltering hot paradise of weapons and soldering.

Jack watched her leave, his smile slowly disappearing after his charge had left the room. He eyed his coffee sullenly, his mind lingering on the previous conversation he had with his 'customer'. Sighing lowly, he sipped the beverage and immediately grimaced.

"_Bitter..._"

* * *

The rest of the week passed without any sort of interruptions. Ruby continued working on the weapon dutifully; crafting the parts with Jack looking over her shoulder. As she suspected, it was no easy feat to make a weapon from scratch. Crescent Rose was a different story as she had drawn her own blueprints upon Qrow's basic design and built it with high tech machinery, which the work shop did not have.

It was extremely exhausting to mould the metal into a specific shape, and it didn't help that Jack kept asking her to redo some of it. His need for perfection was a double edged sword, although it was what pushed the girl to work for him in the first place.

"Another dud." Jack said with a sigh. He threw the imperfect piece of scrap into the bin while Ruby slowly began to gather all materials needed to start the process again. She sluggishly placed the uncut metal into the crucible, preparing to plunge it in the furnace for the umpteenth time. When she nearly tripped on her own feet, the man shot forward to steady her. He frowned when he saw that she could barely hold the crucible, her hands shaking slightly.

"Maybe you should take a break."

"W-What about the…?"

"Don't worry Ruby. Since it's only Sunday you deserve get a short break. As a matter of fact, you should just take the rest of the day off. No use in spreading yourself too thin and getting hurt. You'll have plenty of time to work on it next week."

He told her with a reassuring smile. The girl nodded hesitantly. In all honesty, she was too tired to even argue with him. Her mind was blank and her hands were hurting like a bitch. Her vision blurred for a moment and she reached up to rub her eyes gently. Her body felt heavy, and her eyelids were fighting to keep open. '_I must be really tired.'_ She thought wryly.

Maybe she really needed a break. Jack ushered her out of the workshop and left her to her own devices. Ruby headed towards her room with only one goal in mind and as she headed back towards her room she almost lost her footing a number of times, close to face planting on the carpet. Finally reaching her destination, she pushed her room door open weakly and immediately flopped onto the bed. With the little energy she had, Ruby kicked off her shoes before her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

When Jack entered his workshop again, he was relatively unsurprised to see someone leaning against the wall. Not saying a word, he dragged an unoccupied chair near the window and placed it on the other side of the table. Then, he began clearing all the tools left lying around the work desk, making sure that everything was back in its proper place. Once he was done, Jack walked over to his own seat and sat in it with a huff.

Neo observed him silently; her tri-coloured notebook sprawled on the table, its white pages exposed to the humid air.

"Neo." He greeted stiffly, a hint of a frown on his face. She responded with a small smirk, taking out a pen from the pockets of her suit.

'_Will we be interrupted?' _She scribbled.

Jack shook his head. "I slipped a few sleeping tablets into the milk today." He told her. A flicker of guilt crossed his moustached features. "I made sure not to put too much. Just enough to let her sleep like a baby for the next couple of hours."

'_Good. Then let's get down to business_.'

At this, Jack felt his muscles tense at the inevitable conversation. He gave her quick once over. She hadn't changed in the slightest. Neo was still wearing the same fancy suit as before, and her hair seemed even more brightly coloured; the pink, brown and white locks pooling at her shoulders, framing her petite face. The only thing different about her was the lack of a weapon, to which she substituted with a cream white cane.

"As you wish. But first I need to know…"

Neo looked up with a hint of a frown on her face. Her gloved fingers threaded one another as she waited for the man in front of her to continue. Jack swallowed, a sudden surge of protectiveness shooting through him.

"Why are you so interested in Ruby? What do you want with her?"

He asked. No matter how dangerous and how well connected Neo was, Jack would sooner purge himself than put his charge in danger. She was more than just his assistant; Ruby was someone who brought the light into his life. He had been drowning in the hatred for his brother for so long that he had forgotten how fulfilling and satisfying happiness could feel. Jack couldn't help but feel guilt that he would be dragging the innocent girl into his quest for revenge. It seemed almost sinful to sully a light as bright as hers.

Neo let out a giggle at his question, causing the man to look up in bewilderment. She thought about it for several seconds, twirling the pen dexterously in her fingers. Then, she clicked her tongue and proceeded to write something in the notebook. Jack picked up the notebook she slid over to him. What he read made his blood run cold.

'_I'm sure you've heard the story of the little red riding hood. I'm interested in knowing how her story will end. Will she remain the prey…?'_

Neo grinned wolfishly.

'…_or join the predator?'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.

**AN**: I would have never thought people actually like this story. Thank you all for feeding my muse and sorry if this chapter is too short for you guys! I'm more of a quality than quantity person and i have no stamina to write 4k to 5k, even on a good day. It's nearly 12am and i have to work ten hours tomorrow (help) so all the grammar mistakes/spell errors are mine. I also want to thank everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed this whimsical story of mine. I uploaded this literally 4 mins away from Monday, Drednaught! I was actually side tracked because I was watching The road to El dorado (lol).

_Italics _– flashback.

* * *

Ruby groggily picked at her eggs, the fork puncturing the yolk and causing the yellow liquid to flow down the sides of the egg whites like a freshly erupted volcano. Wincing at the mess, she quickly shoveled what was left into her mouth while Jack looked on in exasperation. She downed her second glass of orange juice and shifted her sights to the half-eaten ham and cheese on her plate and started to chomp down on it once more.

Normal people would have felt their appetite disappear, but the man on the opposite side of the table just rolled his eyes and sipped calmly on his coffee, black with no sugar. The smell was so strong that it wafted over to Ruby, making her scrunch her nose in disgust. She never understood the appeal of such a bitter drink.

She was all about the sweets. Hot chocolate, candies, ice-creams and jellybeans could be devoured by the truck loads. Sugary treats made her life a little brighter and helped on those particularly bad days when she needed a pick me up, or craved something sweet on her tongue.

Jack folded his newspaper and set it on the table just as Ruby finished up her food. "Any plans for today?" He asked, picking up his fork and finishing up the rest of his own meal. "You need to get out more. I may be old but at least I know how to have fun."

"Hey! I have plenty of fun on my own." She pouted.

"Right." He responded skeptically. "Because working 24/7 in a small dim room is the epitome of fun."

Ruby glared at him and stabbed the remainder of her uneaten food with her fork. "Says the workaholic." She mumbled. Pushing her chair back, the girl headed towards the fridge and grabbed a large carton of orange juice, pouring a generous amount into her cup before stuffing it back into the metal contraption.

"It's your day off, girl." Jack threw his hands up in the air with such force that he nearly knocked over his plate. "Find something else to do that doesn't involve smoldering metal and passing out on the bed! All the other shop owners are starting to think that I'm a slave driver." He whined.

Ruby nearly choked on her juice. Hitting her chest repeatedly to make sure her lungs received their due she spoke again when the liquid went down correct pipe this time. "Really?" She asked in half amusement and half horror. The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed. And then it dawned on her. Eyes widening in realization, Ruby had to hold back a guffaw as she spoke. "Ohhhh, now I know why people kept coming up to me and handing me these things. I thought they were just trying to recruit me or something." She stated and pulled a wrinkled piece of paper out from her pocket.

"What? Let me see that."

He flipped the brochure over and stared in horror at the big, bright purple words screaming '_The Vale Police: Change your life by calling today' _with a long list of numbers below the bolded words. What was mortifying was not the heading, but the fact that the scroll number was circled _and_ underlined. Twice.

'_Sanity is overrated_.' Was Jack's last thought as he crashed.

Ruby guessed that she would have been thrown out on the street at some point. Maybe for failing her classes, not being a good enough leader for her teammates (look how that turned out) or perhaps even for breaking too many rules.

But she had probably _never_ expected to be booted out for quote 'working too much' unquote. So now, the huntress in training stood in front of the shop, staring at nothing in particular. Without any equipment Ruby couldn't even polish her darling weapon. All she had was a bank account full of lien and all the time in the world.

It was nice having a day off and all that but…what exactly was she going to do now?!

* * *

Ruby wandered around Vale, squeezing through the crowds which were the norm for a normal, sunny afternoon. She struggled against the throng, becoming increasingly irritated when most of them barely glanced at her before forcing their way past.

She yelped when somebody stomped on her feet, shooting a scathing glare at the person's back before forcing her way forward again. Not seeing any other choice, Ruby threw herself to the side, sighing in relief when she stumbled into an alleyway.

It was damp, dark and crowd free. The girl thought that such a dingy place like this would be a reprieve from the chaos going on out there. Crowds were never really her thing. It was more of Yang's scene then hers.

Yang.

The thought of her sister made the repressed feelings of bitterness resurface.

It was funny how bad thoughts had a way of worming themselves to the surface. They were like cockroaches. Disgusting little critters that lurked in the dark depths of your soul; just _waiting_ for the right moment to come out of hiding. No matter how hard you tried to get rid of them, they just _kept coming back_. Like a thorn in your flesh, it bites deeply into your mind and stays there.

Ruby clicked her teeth. Now was a good of a time as any to plan on how to deal with the inevitable shit storm that would happen when she got back to Beacon.

Leaning against the cold, stone wall the girl began to ponder.

She wondered when it all went to hell.

* * *

_The days were starting to blend together. She would wake up, only to find that her teammates had already gone down for breakfast. It hurt they hadn't bothered to wake her. Dragging herself out of bed, Ruby sluggishly moved to the bathroom to prepare herself for the dull day ahead. _

_Classes were much better than gatherings like lunch or breakfast. It wouldn't seem weird if teams sat apart. Weiss occupied one seat in the first row, scribbling furiously, while Ruby was in the third by the wall. Yang and Blake were somewhere at the furthermost rows, the stiff silence occasionally punctuated by familiar mischievous giggles and the crumpling of papers. Peeking over her shoulder, Ruby would see Yang nudging Blake, leaning into the cat Faunus's side and whispering something into her ear. Blake would turn red and hit the blonde with her pencil before turning her attention back to the teacher._

_Weiss was sitting beside Pyrrha, figure poised and the picture of an ideal student. She seemed to scribble down every word that was said, and even from where she sat, Ruby could almost feel the drive for perfection being projected from the heiress's aura. _

_After classes, Ruby would head straight for the library. _

_It was of no use to follow the remainder of team RWBY. They would ultimately leave her behind, as if her existence was nothing but that of a mere ghost. Library time was peaceful. She would grab whatever book caught her eye, mostly fantasy stories, and seat herself in a plush chair next to the window. Usually, when she glanced outside, team JNPR could be seen with team RWBY. Sometimes it would just be Yang; playing Frisbee with the other four. Other times, it would be all three of them against the other four, with Jaune as the referee looking on in horror._

_That ugly feeling of envy and longing would bubble up again, only to be forced down when she turned away, eyes wet and lips trembling. _

_Then, the day would end. _

_She would head back to their dorm room, her footsteps echoing off the empty walls. Hanging up her red cloak by her bed, she would study the night away, only stopping when her three team mates entered the room laughing uproariously. Good nights were exchanged; Ruby's going unnoticed under the noisy banter of Yang and Weiss. _

_Sleep would be difficult. The pain would come back twofold whenever she shut her eyes. The darkness was mocking and bitter, all her insecurities laid out as plain as day. Just as she thought the darkness would devour her, silver eyes would fly open. _

_Rinse and repeat. _

_But Ruby endured it. After all, every underdog would have its day. With that in mind, she waited and waited. For that opportune moment. The golden day where everything would change. The day when she would no longer feel like an outsider to her friend's happiness, when she would wake up to blinding smiles and warm laughter; receive hugs as soft as cotton candy and be spoken to with words as sweet as honey._

_But it never came. _

_**"We're going over to team JNPR's room! Catch you later lil' sis!"**_

_Enough. _

_Enough. _

_Under the brightness of the fluorescent lights of the bathroom, everything became clear. _

_Nothing would change. She had to stop herself from self-destructing. Because if she didn't…no one would. On that day, Ruby made a promise to herself. _

_And from that moment on, the time which had stopped had begun moving again._

* * *

A light jingling sound snapped her out of her daydream. Looking to her right, down into the dark alley, Ruby saw something gold shine when a ray of stray light shot through the darkness. Her curiosity piqued, she threw one last glance at the crowded street and stepped further into the darkness.

Going closer to the source of the sound, Ruby felt her breath hitch in surprise when a small shop came into view. The shop was framed by old wooden beams with a large window of frosted glass. The words 'Tukson's Book Trade' in black bold words added to the overall atmosphere of mystery surrounding the shop.

Cautiously, Ruby stepped closer.

The bottom of her shoes scrapped the rough, paved ground as she approached the antique looking door. Looking around nervously, she used her palms to press against the grain of the door. It creaked and shivered at the pressure and slowly slid open.

The musky scent of old books was an odd combination with the fresh, peppy smell of new ones. Stepping into the shop, Ruby gently used the tips of her fingers to brush against the spines of several books as she passed by the tall shelves, forging her way to the counter.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book trade!"

Ruby nearly screamed at the sudden cheerful greeting. She whirled around to see a man with odd sideburns grinning at her. Amused yellow eyes twinkled as he watched her shuffle nervously, inching behind the hulking shelves of oak. "We have every book under the sun! If you've read it, then we have it!" He said with a wave. The girl replied with a weak smile. Not losing any pep at her less than enthusiastic reply, he started humming lowly as he grabbed several piles of books, picking them up and apparently going through a small door leading to the back of the shop.

Ruby's frayed nerves began to calm when she was left alone again.

"Wow…" She mumbled into the surprisingly cool air as she walked through the dimly lit book shop. Most of the light filtered in through the windows, lighting up the brown, plush seats littering the edges of the shop. It looked extremely cosy, reminding Ruby of the Beacon library where she read her days away.

Ruby continued browsing through the books. Eventually, she began losing track of time. All the tiredness she never knew she felt slowly began to drain away, as if being soaked up by the pages. Her tense shoulders began to uncurl themselves with each passing hour she spent there, idly flipping through different books and coming across some rare ones like 'The Anatomy of Grimm' and 'More than just glyphs: How to use dust for weapon oriented hunters'. The second one sounded pretty sketchy, Ruby reminded herself to show it to Professor Goodwitch to see if the concepts were applicable and not just some cock and bull story to make a quick buck.

Orange filtered in through the frosted windows, dyeing the shop in a warm, dewy colour. The huntress in training glanced at her watch and felt surprise gripped her chest. Sighing at the thought of trekking back to her temporary home with a bag full of books, Ruby spun on her heel and was about to head towards the counter to–

A shadow moved in the corner of her vision.

Slightly spooked and instincts on alert, She gripped the tomes tightly as she treaded towards the direction where it disappeared. The split second shadow which had been casted on the shelves when the thing moved looked distinctly human.

"Got you–!" She breathed and jumped out to see…nothing.

Only a lone table and two chairs stood before her. Snorting at her bout of paranoia, Ruby was about leave the isolated spot she had stumbled upon when something caught her eye. Specifically, what caught her eye was a book. When she went closer to inspect the mysterious object, her suspicion was transformed into awe.

The book was gorgeous, bound in red leather with a glittering gold spine. Reaching out, Ruby ran her fingers over its surface, marvelling at how smooth it was. To her surprise, the book was surprisingly thin. Most of its gait was due to how thickly it was wrapped. Gingerly flipping the book open, her surprise was further peaked when all she saw was a blank page. Confused, Ruby began flipping through the paper thin pages of this mystifying book.

For some odd reason, a strange feeling of excitement started to build in her stomach when she finally ended up on a page with lovely, cursive hand writing. She did a quick inspection on the rest of the pages, happy to find that they were also filled with the same jet black ink. Making a decision, the girl tucked it under her arm with the rest of her pickings and headed towards the counter.

The owner, Tukson, began punching in numbers on the cash register at lightning speed as he began sorting through the small pile. Ruby watched the green numbers increase with each click of the register and began digging through her pockets to fish out her wallet. She mentally patted herself on the back for remembering to keep some lien on her whenever she went out.

Tukson set down the book titled 'History of Weapons' and set it down next to the checked pile. Turning back to the last book, his eyes widened spectacularly when he saw it. The clogs in his head churned wildly, hand trembling as he reached for it.

"Is everything ok?"

He stumbled, quickly shoving the book into the bag.

"Y-Yes." Tukson gritted out and grabbed the fifty lien note deposited in front of him. He handed the change back to her with a weak grin, his demeanour a shadow of his former one. "Thank you, come again!" The man called out as Ruby left the shop. The jingle of the doorbell was something akin to a bucket of cold water, awakening her from the state of serenity she had ended up.

Thankfully, the crowds had long since thinned, allowing Ruby to head home with relative ease. She made it back just in time to see Jack galloping around in an apron, belting out an oldie. Ruby nearly burst her side laughing her guts out. It also didn't help that the apron her boss was wearing was decorated in white frills.

The memory of finding the mysterious book faded from her mind as she settled down for a delicious dinner.

* * *

Neo smiled when her scroll buzzed. Looking down, she saw a message from one of the white fang members she _actually_ liked.

'_Red riding hood has entered the den.'_

'_Good.'_

The tri coloured girl felt satisfaction bubble from within her.

'_Did she pick the flower?'_

'_Yeah. I can't believe she really found it. Not after how well you hid that thing.'_

'_You forget that I'm not just a side-kick to the flamboyant thief.'_

The reply felt slightly more cautious and well worded. Neo smirked. Even if she liked the guy, it didn't mean that he was her equal. Tolerance only stretched so far, and she didn't even have much to begin with.

'_Do you think she'll be back?'_

'_Obviously.' _The message was accompanied by a soundless chuckle and a tap of a cane.

'_How do you know, anyway?' _

'_Because…' _Neo paused, contemplating the next words. Her gloved fingers swiftly typed out the reply before snapping the scroll shut. With the message sent, the girl exited the room, sashaying through the White Fang hideout. Some of the members stopped to stare when she walked past, making the edge of her lips hook up in a sly smile.

Roman bit on one end of the cigar, waiting for his hired gun to arrive. He looked up at the familiar and repetitive taps of the cane and blanched.

"Stop smirking like that." He rolled his eyes when she flipped him the bird. "Nothing good ever happens when you look like that. And what's so funny about today anyway." The thief grumbled as he began counting all the stolen crates of dust.

Neo just smiled cheerily and tapped the pocket of her jacket.

'_**We're both similar, you see. We like sweet things, fun things. So trust me when I say that the little red riding hood **__**will**__** com**_**e.' **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.

* * *

As she sat in the dark workshop, leaning against the wall next to the window, Ruby dragged her fingers across the velvety cover of the book. The sleek, silver body of the parasol glimmered from its place in the water bath, the strong titanium frame releasing a small cloud of vapor as it cooled off after hours of blazing heat and tedious shaping.

A crack of light seeped in from the small opening in the curtains, her position making it so that she could read the book without squinting or being blinded. Flipping the cover open gingerly, she took in all the little details of the book; such as how some parts of paper were darker than the others. She concluded that some water may have accidentally splattered the book, pushing the information to the back of her mind as she continued flipping through the first few blank pages.

She finally paused in her movements, curiosity filling her as she saw the first page with writing, though it didn't make much sense. '_Neopolitan'_ she murmured breathlessly, unsure of why the name sent a shiver down her spine. Wrapping the cloak around her even more tightly, the girl squashed the uneasy feeling beginning to form at the pit of her stomach, the room suddenly more suffocating than it had previously been. The next page revealed that it was filled to the brim with writing. The words were decidedly short and stumpy, like a child's. Funnily enough though, a quick glance through the next few pages told Ruby that this was not a book.

But instead, a journal.

_Whose_ it was, she was going to find out.

Taking in a deep breath, Ruby began reading.

* * *

_They kept me inside again today. I don't know what I did wrong….again. I did everything I promised; not making a sound when those pointy needles stabbed my arm and not wetting myself by accident in the shocky chair. _

_All I wanted to do was go outside today._

_The children's laugh are so loud and cheerful, it makes me feel sad and lonely in my room. But Mommy said that freaks like me can't go out, because I would embarrass them. She said I wasn't strong enough to survive outside so I have to stay here. _

_But Daddy says that I'll be stronger soon, though. He gave me so many sweets to eat, and when I spread it out on the floor it kinda looks like that thing I read. A rainbow, I think. There are a lot ugly ones here too. I wish Mommy didn't make me eat the ugly sweets. I don't like the brown ones, they taste funny. The pink ones are much sweeter and more delicious. I wish daddy would give me more of those. _

_I think I'll tell him tomorrow._

* * *

_Daddy was angry that I didn't eat the brown sweets. He made them poke more needles into me again. It still hurts a lot, and I wish I could clean off some of the blood. _

_I can hear the children again today. They sound softer today, I wonder what happened? I don't want them to go anywhere yet…I still haven't gone outside. Maybe some of them just went to their room. I wish my room could be as nice as theirs, but I hope Mommy doesn't know what I said about my room. _

_I don't want to go on the shocky chair today; I still hurt from yesterday's visit. But on the bright side, I got my height measured by uncle today! He said that I'm already a big girl and can go out to play soon. He said that daddy and mommy will be watching me play with the children. _

_I'm so excited! Mommy also gave me a nice little umbrella today. She said that I can show it off to the kids. Maybe they'll even show me theirs– daddy's coming! I need to hide this before he takes it away. I hope tomorrow will be a good day._

* * *

Ruby felt her skin crawl at the ominous shiver that ran down her spine. Despite the child like writing and the slight happy go lucky tone of the first few entries, the mentions of 'needles' and 'shocky chairs' sounded like a pretty sick joke to her.

The last sentence of the entry was slightly smudged, indicating that the writer had been in a hurry to pen it down. Stiffly, she made a movement to turn the page again, but a sudden noise made her jump. Senses alert and body coiled like a spring, she glanced sharply towards the direction of the sound, her hands itching to reach for crescent rose resting on the table beside her. Her eyes fell on the other side of the workshop.

'_Heh, it was just a branch…' _She giggled weakly, using her free hand to press down a stray cowlick. Trying to calm her frayed nerves, the girl gently sat down the journal on the table before making her way to the water bath where the frame of the parasol was waiting. Slipping on some thick gloves, Ruby grabbed both ends of the cooled metal carefully and lifted it up. Wiping away the excess liquid, she swung the long, cylindrical frame; eliciting sounds when it sliced through the air. "Whoa…" She whistled, impressed. Whatever the ore Jack had provided her with, it was definitely made to last. The body of the parasol felt light, or maybe it was just her; since she was already accustomed to swinging around a gigantic scythe.

Satisfied at her day's work, Ruby put her latest work away, arranging it neatly beside the other components of the Parasol which had been completed. The hardest part would be saved for last as imbuing dust into weapons was an extremely complicated process. She was thankful that Jack would be there to guide her through it, actually, had it not been for her mentor/employer, she would have been oblivious to many useful things.

The three week break would be coming to an end soon, and Ruby felt the reluctance to go back to Beacon gradually creeping up on her like a shadow, its nagging presence sometimes present or not, but never to the point where she was unaware of its existence.

Logically, she was aware of why she felt this way. The hurt of being ignored and then accused was too much of a strain emotionally, thus leading her to explode at her team. It would not be surprising if she hadn't forgiven them yet.

However, Ruby innately knew it went far deeper than that.

Perhaps, her previously naïve and carefree soul had been permanently scarred by ignorance and careless words. She knew that nothing would ever be the same between her, Weiss, Blake and Yang again.

Her mind drifted back to a quote she had come across in the numerous books she had devoured while trying to drown out her loneliness. The words had struck a chord deep inside her, and no matter how much she tried to forget it, she could not. For it was so utterly true, the harshness of the statement leaving a bitter taste in her mouth, and forever imprinting itself in her memory.

_**Human relationships are like chemical reactions.**_

_**Once you have a reaction, **_

_**It is impossible to return to your previous state of being. **_

She _dreaded_ what was to come when she would finally step into that oh so familiar dorm room where she had spent countless lonely nights curled up in her mother's red cloak and rereading her favourite fairy tales.

Ruby huffed, annoyed at herself for delving back into those dark thoughts. '_I-I'll deal with it when it comes.' _She told herself, frowning slightly when her inner voice wavered. '_After all, that has always worked.' _

Spinning on her heel, the girl walked back to her seat, sinking into it before picking up the journal again. Once more, she ran her fingers over its velvety cover and relished the softness of it. Flipping to the page where she had stopped, Ruby was stunned to see that the next page was blank. Clean as a whistle.

Confusion flowed through her, making her flip the page. And flip. And flip. Until finally…She found one full of writing. Looking closer, why were there red stains on the paper…?

She ran a thumb over it. It had long since dried up, the substance already deeply embedded in the page, whatever it was. Huffing, she began reading once more, not noticing that her source of light was starting to become dimmer and dimmer, the curtains no longer glowing from the excess of sunlight.

* * *

_It's been two weeks since __**that**__ day. I can still hear their screams echoing in my ears. Ah their sweet, sweet__cries__of help as we play a little. The children aren't that fun to play with after all. They keep crying whenever we play 'doctor'. They're terrible at it, can't even endure one needle when I've had more than six stuck in my arms and legs all at once._

_Pathetic. _

_My umbrella looks so pretty now, the different shades of red giving it a certain look that makes me want to go out and decorate it some more. But mommy said I have to wait till the other children are ready. She says that they need to finish their sweets before we can play together again._

_Daddy came to visit me again. He's got more sweets. I don't know why they're only pink and brown ones. I can't make a rainbow with these. Nevermind, I kind of like the brown ones now. It balances out the taste of the sweet pink ones, which is good since Mommy never gives me any water until after we visit uncle. _

_Ah, I wish that the other children would quickly eat their sweets so we all can play together again._

* * *

Ruby felt her eyes widen in horror as the next page went on to describe the 'playing' in minute detail. It wasn't even funny anymore, the writing delving into mentions of torture and the use of primal machinery. The contents made her stomach churn with disgust and horror, but she felt a sense of exhilaration flow through her veins as she carried on reading, unable to tear her eyes away from the sickening descriptions.

Eyes glued to the page, Ruby carried on reading. Even as the sun dipped behind the dark clouds, darkness swallowing everything and drowning the workshop in perpetual darkness, she held the book tightly with shaky fingers, heart palpitating with excitement.

**And so, the little red riding hood strayed off the path, lured away by the beautiful flowers on the other side of the forest; never once noticing the eyes of the predator watching her intently, with a salivating mouth and glistening fangs.**

* * *

**Long AN**: Yep, as usual I'm late, but I don't think that's surprising. Just letting everyone know that after updating this (short) chapter I'll be taking a short break from fanfic writing. Maybe like 1 week plus or so. I've wanted to catch up on my other hobbies, and I figure that I better do it before school starts and all. But no worry, school starts in April for me so still plenty of time to write other trashy fics.

Some may have noticed that I took away the second pairing that was previously planned for red and pink (Coco and our beloved heiress). The reason for that being that I rather concentrate on the main pairing and not spread myself thin trying to write for another pairing I have no experience in. I'll probably have a one shot for this pairing but I apologize if anyone was looking forward to it.

This chapter took a different turn then what I expected; I was aiming for humor but ended up something else. I'm also figuring out the story as I go along so don't be too harsh on me :3 Also, let me know what you think of the updated summary. I reread the old one and didn't think it really conveyed what was actually happening in the story.

On a side note, **128 Favourites **and **189 followers**? Holy SHIT I freaking love you guys and want to thank you taking the time to read this. I didn't even dream that something I wrote would be this well received! Er and yes, that awesome quote was from Tokyo ghoul. Letting y'all know that so you can go read the manga, and the ending was partly inspired by Into the woods which i watched yesterday. Great movie.


	7. Chapter 7

The dust imbued metal flared brightly for several seconds, capable of stunning any unshielded eyes to the point of temporary blindness or disorientation. Fortunately, he had taught her the proper measures to keep from getting hurt so the girl forged on, her silver orbs narrowed in concentration as she moved the sharp point of the dust-filled instrument down the dull contours of the sheath. Engraving dust into objects was a very delicate process, and even the slightest distraction could make the intended effect go awry.

That said, Jack had told her that the wielder of this particular weapon didn't actually have any need for the helpful bonus this process provided.

_"She just wants to make it look pretty." he said wryly, looking partly amused and disgruntled. "It's a shame that those who don't need such luxuries are the ones who can afford them. I've known people who needed their weapons done like **this**"_

_Jack gestured to the silky material of the parasol with intricate designs of white dust decorating the rim and spreading outwards from the sharp tip like a web._

_"But didn't have the money make one. Never mind the fact that dust prices have gone through the roof since that 'gentleman thief' has been robbing stores left and right." He said with a sigh of resentment._

Finishing up the sheath with some final touch ups, Ruby placed it on the workbench before stepping back to admire it with grin, even flashing her pearly whites. A muffled cough behind her made her spin around, Jack standing several feet away from her. Glancing over her shoulder, he whistled appreciatively at the finished product.

"Wow, they sure don't make'em like yours nowadays."

Ruby looked embarrassed at his compliment but the surge of pride from within her was unmistakable. "What can I say? I'm awesomeeee!" She said gleefully, bouncing on her heels. The man rolled his eyes good naturedly and reached out to ruffle her hair. "You did good kid. Just in time too, since your client will be picking it up tomorrow."

"H-Huh? That quick?"

"She has a rather…_difficult_ schedule," Jack let himself bask in the irony of that sentence before forging on, "And she's going to be in town for some business. A win win situation, if anything else."

"Will I…will I get to meet her?"

Ruby asked curiously. The identity of her mysterious customer had been nagging her at the back of her mind, gnawing away at her consciousness for the past weeks. It hadn't helped that Jack had offhandedly mentioned working with her one or two times, further increasing the mystery around the entire situation.

Jack gave her a strained smile. "Well…she did say that she wanted to meet you in person."

Ruby perked up at that. "Really?"

He nodded, unconsciously glancing at the spot Neo had previously occupied the last time she had come to the workshop. The memory of it made him straighten his back instinctively, the sudden action drawing the attention of his charge.

"Are you okay?"

'_That depends. Depends on whether you'll ever forgive me for sending you straight into the jaws of the wolf.'_

"I'm…I'm fine." He answered weakly. "Just ate something bad was all. Here, you can go grab some food and get some rest while I clear this mess up."

* * *

Hidden beneath the shade was Weiss, the girl happy to have an escape from the burning afternoon sun. Birds chirped happily atop branches, singing a song worthy of a children's movie. Unfortunately, the girl had little cheer that the winged vertebrates possessed. Snarling at the annoying noise makers above her, Weiss tightened her grip on Myrtenaster and promptly thrust out her rapier, aiming for the weak end of the branch.

The birds shrilled in surprise as their branch suddenly thrashed about fiercely. With the sound of beating wings and annoyed chirps, they flew away in a flutter of feathers and leaves; leaving the heiress truly alone.

A small smile graced her pale lips as she welcomed the silence. Calm began to wash over her like an ocean tide slowly ebbing away at the cold, wet sand. Her tensed nerves began to relax, limbs and muscles uncoiling as she melted into the bench. "Another _great_ morning…" She mumbled, tilting her head aside so she could massage her own shoulders; the memories of the tense breakfast coming to mind. She winced.

The barely hidden fury in Yang's eyes that never seem to burn out; and the thinly veiled insults that seemed to be on the tip of Blake's tongue. It was bad enough that she still felt guilty over the whole 'test debacle' but it seemed that Blake and her blonde brute of a girlfriend had not yet forgiven her for those –admittedly– careless words.

But could they really blame her?

That Ruby Rose, the childish and immature dolt with the attention span of a goldfish, had taken the top spot? Weiss was still sore over the fact that her partner had one upped her _again_, as if the becoming the leader of the team hadn't been enough. It was **she** that truly deserved the spotlight, what with all the hours of studying and back breaking practice…that Ruby would've also gone through. Or done more of, according to what she said.

Weiss bit her lip in disappointment, fine eyebrows dipping down into a sloping arch. It seemed as if her superiority complex ran deeper than she had thought…

And then there was _that_ problem. The elephant big enough to squash Beacon.

Weiss was by no means hiding away from the fact that she had hurt Ruby, and it stood to reason that the girl herself wasn't about to shy away from what team WBY had done to her. The heiress was no saint, and she wasn't about to cower away from the truth of the whole matter. To ignore the fact that the people her partner trusted had turned their backs away. Abandoned her. Treated her as if she were irrelevant. Well, the damage was done and now they were _all_ paying for it.

And the biggest sin? Was that Weiss had let herself take it too far. It wasn't that the heiress had purposely ignored Ruby per say. Originally, she was just trying to take her own grades to the next level, obsessed with trying to be perfect. Joining in the occasional party thrown by team JNPR was the only 'fun' she had allowed herself. The only thing she had to say was that old habits die hard. The need to be first and _perfect_ had been hammered into her since her days at Schnee manor, and getting rid of it was an ongoing process; one that she had not yet perfected.

But still. She should have been more attentive to Ruby, no matter how idiotic or headache inducing it was.

'_I'm a terrible partner…_' Weiss let out another ragged sigh at the revelation. "They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions." She smiled wryly, examining the thin blade of Myrtenaster in her hands. "But I guess that there's always more than one road."

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know."

Startled, she abruptly turned to see the dark, slender form of one cat Faunus sitting casually on the thick branches. Blake twirled gambol shroud, her manner seemingly casual. But Weiss was no fool. She didn't miss the steel that lay underneath those bemused amber locks, nor did she think that the brunette was sitting at such a high angle for nothing.

It would've been a silent and deadly kill, had Blake not given away her position and plunged the blade into her neck, severing the spinal cord in one swift movement. Weiss shivered.

The cat Faunus leaped from her perch and landed in front of the heiress with a soft thump. "Hmph, I like to think that it's one way to clear my thoughts." The two stared at one another unblinkingly, sizing each other up. They had never been comfortable around another; the first time they met could have been compared to akin to leaving a naked flame beside a barrel of oil. Things had smoothed out somewhat since the revelation of Blake's true heritage, but it was there that their relationship came to a standstill.

Team mates. That was just all they were.

Not enemies.

Nor even friends.

"If you want to think of it that way, go ahead." The sentence was punctuated by a small smirk.

"…you've become more _infuriating_ ever since you started dating Yang."

Blake shrugged. "What can I say? Imitation is the best form of flattery."

"Hush you. Her head is already big enough as it is." Weiss groaned. "Dust help us all if she catches wind of this."

Blake finally let out a small laugh, easing the palpable tension which surrounded them, lifting the weight off their backs. "Don't be so dramatic." She stated with an eye roll. The minute gesture could have been mistaken as irritation, though the smile on her lips said otherwise.

"So. To what do I owe this surprise visit?" Weiss asked. "You didn't look like you wanted to exchange words during breakfast. Especially not with those one-liners you were giving me."

The girl looked embarrassed at the reminder of the events which had occurred, amber eyes darting away from blue ones. "Alright, I admit that it wasn't the best thing to do." She admitted. "But Yang would agree that you deserved some of that."

"Oh please." The heiress scoffed, tugging at her ponytail. "Yang would also agree to throw me into a volcano, if it meant taking revenge for that dolt." A sigh. "…Though, I wouldn't do any different if she had hurt Ruby."

Blake nodded. "I know that. But Yang doesn't. And that's precisely the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. If you had made that comment on a normal day, Ruby wouldn't have just…snapped like that. Yes, she would have been hurt. However it's unlikely that she would have gone to such extreme measures don't you think?"

"Now look here-" Weiss felt her face flush with anger and guilt at the subtle barb; rearing herself to her full height as she glared daggers at her teammate. Blake held up her hand to keep the heiress from spewing a barrage of insults and lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Don't you see, Weiss?" Blake looked up, a maelstrom of emotions swirling in her normally cool and apathetic eyes. "She was already at her breaking point. We had already pushed her _that_ far. Even if you didn't say what you did, it would only be a matter of time before Ruby snapped. Any one of us could have just said _something_ and then–" She sucked in a deep breath.

Silence fell over them once more.

"We fucked up big time." Weiss muttered wryly, ignoring the shocked look Blake was sending her.

"Do you think Ruby has…?"

Blake snorted. "I doubt it. This isn't something that can be swept under the rug. We've really hurt her, Weiss. And to be honest, I'm not sure if she's ever going to forgive us."

"She will." The heiress answered confidently.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because. She's Ruby." She answered without skipping a beat. "We all know who she is. The insufferable idiot–" Though the words were harsh, the tone of voice betrayed the affection beneath. "–who can assemble a weapon blindfolded but struggle with a two page essay; wake up at two am for a cookie and takes insanely long study breaks in the bathroom. She's my partner, Blake. I think I know her well enough."

The cat Faunus frowned and shook her head. "People change. The Ruby you knew then wouldn't be the same as the current Ruby. After all, we weren't involved in her life up till about two weeks ago when she blew up at us. And now…"

A pause.

"How well do we _really_ know her?"

* * *

_'Huh?'_

_A grey room. There was little to no light, the lack of windows making sure that whatever was here…was kept a secret. Ruby stood at the far end of the room, silver eyes darting about wildly. 'What's going on?' The thought ran through her mind at a million miles per hour, bouncing off the walls of her cranium, but strangely enough, her body was relaxed. She felt as languid as a cat who was stretched out beneath the sun._

_Ruby started at the sudden sobbing that irrupted, her heart jumping at the eerie noises. The creepiness was further facilitated by the fact that she could see no one, though she could tell that the sources of the sounds were coming from the center of the small room. But soon, small shadowy figures began to appear. She strained her eyes to see but then–_

_"No please!"_

_Came the shrill cry of terror. It was a child's voice, this much she could tell, so full of terror and fear that it wracked her body with shivers. 'What the hell–'_

_A low gurgle split the air. The room exploded with screams, some male, some female but they were all high pitched and childlike. A cacophony of screams. She blinked._

_The walls were no longer grey._

_Smears of red handprints filled up the once dull grey wall. Similarly, tracks of red were painted all over the beige flooring, like somebody had spilt a bucket of paint and had promptly stepped in it before beginning a game of tag. Ruby swallowed, her nerves tingling strangely as she looked around. Bile rose in her throat when she registered the scene before her. Small corpses were littered all over the room; the state of the bodies could bring nightmares to even the fiercest hunters. The smaller cadavers had thin, long needles sticking out from various parts of their body, their precious liquid trickling onto the ground and contributing to the ever growing red sea. _

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_Silver eyes darted to the side. A slightly larger body was strapped to an awful looking chair, bearing its nuts and bolts in all its rusted glory, surrounded by silver wires and bright red buttons that looked like something out of a cartoon._

_What made Ruby's stomach turn was not the small mountain of corpses behind the chair, but the state of the body itself. The skin was charred black, all the muscles and sinews burned to a fine crisp. She could almost smell the stench of burnt flesh all the way from where she was standing. She choked and peeled her eyes away._

_"How pathetic…" A soft, melodious voice drifted into Ruby's ears. It was slightly pitched and obviously a girl's, and as Ruby turned towards the source of the voice; she took in the sight before her._

_Silver eyes greedily drank in the small, lithe figure, immediately noticing the distinctive tri-coloured hair which unraveled down to the girl's shoulders. "Children are no fun…" She whispered softly. She lifted up her gaze, looking straight at Ruby. "They break too easily."_

_The girl stood up, her long, white dress swaying as she began walking towards her. Despite the messy state of the room, her dress was pristine and seemed to give off an ethereal glow. Ruby's eyes were glued to her petite looking hands which were dyed blood red._

_She stopped in front of Ruby, her pink and brown irises interchanging when she blinked. The feather like touch on her face made Ruby jump, and she shuddered when she felt the sticky liquid eclipse the soft touch. It was obvious that this girl was capable of causing harm, the bodies in the room were a testament to this, but the touch was surprisingly gentle, cradling Ruby like a fragile glass doll._

_"Will you break as well?"_

_Neo smiled._

_The hand tightened around her neck, and Ruby her heart stop in her chest as she opened her mouth to scream–_

* * *

Her eyes flew open. Chest heaving and mouth dry, Ruby gripped her blanket tightly, the last vestiges of the nightmare fading into oblivion as sunlight poured through the binds like an overflowing waterfall. She gulped the sweet oxygen greedily, her heart slowing down from rapid thumps to normality.

"Fuck." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes shakily. This was the first time she had a dream so…_intense._

She threw a glance at the journal lying innocently by her table. The velvet material seemed to soak up all the light, making it glow somewhat ominously. Her nightmare was almost identical to the situations described in it, although, this was the first time she had not been merely a figure who observed. But was a victim of them instead.

She shivered.

'_Something's gonna happen. But what?'_

* * *

**AN:**

Hey guys. I finally got around to updating. Sorry for the lateness. I found it really hard to write this chapter for some reason and to add on to that, i also lost alot of money recently so it's sorta getting me down. The next chapter will be up much quicker and answer the annoying cliffs in this chapter. Thank you all for following and reviewing this story! I didn't think it would be so well recieved. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**AN**: Well, this chapter was a pain in the ass to the write but I hope it was worth it. Sorry for the lack of updates! And holy shit, thank you all **so** much for reviewing, following and favouriting this fic. Really, it really motivates me to get past my writer's block. :D Now on to the story!

* * *

Stepping down from the airship, Blake walked briskly towards the entrance of Vale. Behind her, Weiss and Yang followed her lead. Both girls kept silent, barely even glancing at each other as they gazed straight ahead. For the most part, Yang had barely managed to recover from the event which happened several weeks ago.

But it was when she saw the icy demeanor of the Schnee heiress, indifferent and bored, that her temper flared, the urge to pound her into the ground becoming increasingly difficult to control. Holding her reins was none other than Blake Belladonna, who, despite siding with her irate girlfriend, was able to comprehend the situation to a deeper extent than the other two. Her animosity towards Weiss had died down after they talked, but they still weren't exactly 'buddy buddy' either.

The blonde trudged forward, lost in her thoughts.

"_This isn't about Weiss." Blake said with a heavy sigh. They were currently in their empty dorm room, the missing presence of Ruby enough to make Yang set on edge. When her girlfriend refused to meet her gaze, she gently grabbed her weapon clad hands and gave them a squeeze. "Listen to me. This is not. about. Weiss."_

"_Damn straight it isn't. That snobby waste of space has another thing coming if she think she can make herself the victim." The brawler rebutted heatedly. Her lips curved up into a snarl as lilac irises flitted towards the bed of the other member of team RWBY. The meticulously made bed somehow or rather made her blood boil. Resisting the urge to set it asunder, Yang let out a huff before her attention was once again stolen by the amber eyed beauty standing before her. _

"_That's not what I meant, Yang. And you know it." _

_Blake responded softly. Guiding her slowly, the both of them ending up sitting on the edge of their shared bed. Their gaze connected in that single moment; one burning with fury, promising to unleash hell on earth, while the other was of resignation, anxiety wrapping its tendrils around the mind like a hungry python. _

"…_.Yeah." Yang breathed, taking in a deep breath to clear her mind. "But it doesn't change the fact that what happened was Weiss's fault."_

"_It's not just her Yang. I'm sure you've already realized it, but all Weiss did was pull the trigger. __**We **__were the ones who provided the bullets."_

_The cat Faunus grimaced when her girlfriend started to shake, her irises switching between lilac and deep crimson. It was a sight to behold, the normal happy go lucky girl bogged down by her own guilt and anger._

_Hands curled into fists, she heatedly shook herself out of Blake's gentle hold ("Yang?!" she heard a surprised gasp) before rushing towards the wall and punching it with all her strength. Fist bouncing off harmlessly, the girl prepared to release all her pent up anger with the second strike, arm drawn back like the sinewy string of a bow, before it flew through the air like a speeding missile. _

_A cracking sound resounded through the room._

_Pain shot through her arm, causing Yang to pull back with a faint growl. She prepared her arm once more, this time with the intent of breaking her own hand, but thankfully, Blake swiftly moved into action and firmly locked the girl's arm in place. _

"_YANG!" Blake seethed. _

_Realizing that she wasn't going to be let go of until she calmed down, the blonde wordlessly lowered her raised arm while taking several deep breaths. Her sizable bust rose up and down rhythmically against Blake's arm as she breathed in and out, in and out. The previously tense atmosphere in the room began to drain away, replaced by melancholy and resignation._

_And then, Yang shut her eyes. _

_The image that came to mind made her jaws clench, a heavy feeling settling on her shoulders and weighing her entire body down. A stunned Ruby, standing slack jawed as Weiss started to berate her. A hopeful gaze met hers, with a hint of a plea shining in those childish, lovable eyes…which had been blocked when she purposely directed her attention away._

_But when the ice queen began to accuse her little sister of cheating, that had been the last straw which made her look back towards their direction again. She opened her mouth to defend Ruby, only for a tirade of curses to escape from her sister's mouth. Shocked beyond relief, she sought out for those familiar silver eyes filled with happiness and naivety; but all that she found was bitterness and hatred staring back at her._

_Yang stilled, her entire body beginning to shake. Her bloodied fist began to tremble once more, but she made no movement to hurt herself once again. Instead, she placed her hand over her lilac eyes and began to sob. _

"Let's pick up the pace." Blake said as they finally exited the landing space for airships. Forcibly dragged from her memories, Yang sluggishly trailed behind her girlfriend while Weiss sped up to fall in step with Blake. Feeling the tension in the air diffuse slightly at her proclamation, she heaved an internal sigh of relief. It felt like there were thunderclouds between the two, wherein one wrong step could result in a fight of epic proportions.

Yang grunted in response and crossed her arms while Weiss gave her a curt nod. Figuring that it was the best they could do, she quickly flagged down a taxi and handed the driver a piece of paper with a vaguely scribbled address.

The man nodded in understanding and with a faint click sound, the doors were locked and they were off.

* * *

"Right, I'll be heading off now. See ya later!"

"Remember the directions kiddo." Jack said gruffly, with a hint of a smile on his face. "I wouldn't want you to get lost and be late."

"Nah, I won't. Sides' I'm leaving early aren't I?"

He rolled his eyes at her smart mouthed response but waved her off anyway. Ruby's cheerful face disappeared from sight when she stepped out of the shop. The bell tinkled eerily and soon, the place was drowned in silence.

Walking back to his kitchen, Jack wordlessly poured himself a cup of coffee. Shuffling to the refrigerator, he browsed through his selections in search of some milk. It was a rarity that he had coffee without any sort of additional ingredient. It wasn't that he hated it black, it more because he hated the memories that came with it. When that thought crossed his mind, the fingers reaching for the can of condensed milk halted.

He stilled.

A youthful, carefree face flashed in his mind. A can of sweet java. The smell of autumn, fresh pine and mint.

Jack slammed the door shut with such strength that the refrigerator trembled. The milk forgotten, he shakily brushed back his stray locks and fell into the nearby kitchen chair, taking in ragged breaths. Pushing the cup as far away as possible, as if it contained poison, he slumped into a heap, cradling his face in his hands.

"…I'm sorry. But it had to be done." He murmured. "I'm okay. I'm _okay_."

Slowly, he picked up his scroll and typed in a quick message before pressing send. The disgusting feeling in his stomach didn't leave though, even when he dumped spoonfuls of sugar into the coffee and chugged down the burning liquid.

* * *

Ruby weaved through the crowd, deftly avoiding the tangle of human limbs. It was easy to do so, even without her semblance. Continuing down the crowded path, she kept close to the wall to avoid any possible mishaps.

"Gah, why couldn't he just drive me there?" She groaned and adjusted the parasol in her hands. It was notably long, but it was still small enough to be used by anyone with a shorter stature. Despite the relatively light weight of the weapon, Ruby was also carrying her beloved Crescent Rose. She hated the feeling of being exposed, since she had to have to hold the parasol there was no way she could put her beloved in a more accessible position.

If anything, the weight of her scythe felt comfortable enough beneath her red cloak.

As she continued towards her destination, the girl noticed that the crowd had thinned considerably. There was now enough room for her to move freely, without the fear of accidentally hitting someone (it would not be pretty). It struck her as odd that the client would choose such an 'unpopular' meeting place, since most people got jittery around weapon shops and or people with giant ass weapons which could beat them into a bloodied pulp.

But then again, they did commission something which could easily pierce through a deathstalker's shell, so it was unlikely they couldn't hunt and or fight to a certain extent.

Ruby jerked to a halt when the cement pavement ended abruptly.

She looked up in surprise. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, but she could tell that she was in the slightly more 'rougher' side of town. Buildings with chipped blocks, walls with peeling paint and spiraling vines made quite the impression on her. To top it off; she could see a whole street of seedy looking establishments unravel like a yarn of cloth, a whole line of them spreading out in front of her.

Confused and slightly perturbed, she glanced at the written address again. Was this neighborhood really the place she was supposed to be…?

Nervously, she continued walking and occasionally looked up to follow the street signs to her destination. Fidgeting uncomfortably at the stares prickling her skin, she could only wish that her hands were empty so that she could at _least_ hold onto crescent rose. Breathing out in relief when she turned into a secluded area, she finally spotted the name of the establishment she was looking for.

The first thing Ruby noticed, was that the shop looked better off than the others in the area. The building itself looked fairly old, but it was well kept and the walls seemed as if it had been freshly painted recently. Two large opal sized windows in the red brick wall stared back at her, the panes giving off a bronze sheen under the faint sunlight.

What caught her eye though, was the fact that she couldn't see into the shop at all. The windows seemed to be using frosted glass instead of the usual transparent kind. Overall, Ruby felt that it was awfully big on privacy, but seeing as they were situated in a dangerous place, it didn't seem as strange as it could have been. In fact, she would've thought that it was a smart move, had her mind not been occupied by other, more pressing matters.

Cautiously, Ruby stepped up to the doors. Pushing them lightly, the door creaked as it slowly swung open. She slowly walked through the shop. On her left stood numerous barstools, placed up in a straight line in front of the black lacquer counter. A lone man stood behind it, dressed in a black vest. Slicked back hair framing a fierce looking face, he looked as if he walked straight out of a gangster movie.

He eyed her when she came in, confusion marring his face. But it disappeared as quickly as it came, becoming a mask of impassiveness. The man bowed slightly in greeting, his hand still cleaning a glass mug while he did so. Ruby stiffly responded with a bow of her own, but she scuttled away when his gaze turned elsewhere. Moving forward, she went deeper into the store.

The length of the shop resembled that of Beacon's hallways, but was wider in width. The bar that was on her left was replaced by a brick wall as she ventured further in. On her right were small pockets of space, each separated by a thin wall, holding two chairs and one table, or four chairs and two tables at most. She nodded to herself, liking the outlay of this hole in the wall. It certainly gave customers their privacy.

Or at least, the illusion of privacy.

Ruby began to look around, her tenseness diffused away by the silence that permeated throughout the café. It was well lit enough, with a faint smell of cinnamon wafting from what seemed to be the kitchen, which was blocked by the counter. She tentatively took a seat in one of the spaces, marveling how fended out the area seemed. If only they had places like this in Beacon.

She stretching languidly, rolling her neck as she settled in. Kicking her feet up into a comfortable position, she leaned back with a tired sigh. The excitement and nervousness of meeting her mystery client had put her nerves on edge. Placing the parasol like one would a wet umbrella, Ruby finally took the opportunity to retrieve Crescent Rose from underneath her cape.

She let out a pleased murmur and expanded the entirety of her lovely darling of steel. The sharp end of the scythe jutted out from the small space, and after some adjusting, managed to get it in the position she wanted. Figuring that she had some time to kill (she was early after all), Ruby pulled out her bullet chamber to make sure they were properly in place. She eyed her special dust bullets, handling them with care as she slotted them back in to their special chamber. A faint 'click' sound let relax and move on to the other one holding normal sniper rounds.

If anyone asked, Ruby would admit that she was not meticulous by nature. She was the type of person who learned through experiencing things firsthand. Her mind flashed back to one of the missions where RWBY had been tasked with clearing out a herd of extra aggressive bewolves, and her sniper rifle had jammed at the most inopportune time.

She almost had almost become minced meat (she still remembered the glint of bloodied canines), courtesy of an enraged Beowulf with a missing arm. Ruby grinned a little at the memory of having her ass hauled away by one of Weiss' glyphs, but the grin was quickly squashed when she remembered her current predicament.

But…the mission had turned out just fine, she supposed. There were zero casualties among the first years, save for Jaune tumbling down the airship when his head was still covered by a plastic bag. Thoughts shifted to Beacon, Ruby remembered Ozpin's time limit. And as of now, her stay with Jack would soon be over. The prospect of returning to Beacon seemed to be more off putting than anything else. She didn't want to return to _that_ time ever again.

And even if the situation between the rest of her team mates grew sour, she didn't think that she would sit through the unintentional abuse another time. Putting herself back together hadn't been an easy task, and she absolutely fucking refused to be broken anyway.

So preoccupied in dusting off her weapon and contemplating her musings, she failed to notice a short, lithe figure slide into the seat opposite of her.

And she would have gone unnoticed too, had Ruby not looked up and stared straight into the barrel of a gun.

Sitting at the other end of the table, Neo shot her a delighted smile.

And pulled the trigger.

* * *

The reaction she drew from the student was instantaneous. Quicker than she could blink, the object of her interest shielded her most vulnerable areas, namely the exposed neck and the skull. It was a reaction taken straight from defense textbooks, and the criminal couldn't help but giggle brightly. Ah, her interest in Ruby hadn't been for no reason after all.

"What the hell–"

Neo held up a finger and winked at her. The empty gun swung carelessly from her grasp. Twirling it in a show of dexterity, she brought out the barrel and displayed its contents like a prize. Four gleaming bullets glared at Ruby garishly. Cheeks reddening in anger, the younger girl growled menacingly, lips twisted into a feral snarl.

"Are you fucking nuts?! You could've killed me!" She slammed her fist on the small table, causing it to shake. Neo felt satisfaction pump through her veins as she watched her rant, her expression turning darker and darker with every minute at the lack of response.

"Are you even listening?! And who the heck are you, anyway? Is your hobby murdering people you don't even know in empty cafes?"

To her utmost surprise, the stranger's smile grew wider with each passing question, and Ruby could feel her temper rising. Combined with the adrenaline and the fact she almost had her head blown off, she itched to take out Crescent Rose and shred her into ribbons.

'_Holy– where did that come from?' _Her eyes widened at the murderous thoughts. Gulping down some much needed oxygen, Ruby sought to clear her mind. What a reaction that had been…the only time she recalled feeling such toxic emotions was when she had first received the news of Summer's death, and during the period where she had been largely ignored by all of her 'friends'. The intensity of the anger she felt _scared_ her.

Suddenly remembering that she was not alone, Ruby quickly looked up. Neo stared at her target in disappointment. The spike in her aura had been almost mesmerizing to feel, but it was gone as soon as it came. Oh well. She would have plenty of time to work on that.

"W-Who are you?" Ruby spoke meekly, slightly shaken up by the occurrence. Anger dissipated, the girl placed a hand around the parasol, eyeing the stranger before her. "What do you want with me?"

At the question, Neapolitan settled into her chair, placing the gun in front of her. She made a hand gesture which seemed like she was mocking Ruby. _'Uh uh uh'_ She signaled, and took out an empty notebook. The click of the pen made Ruby jump, breaking her out from the stunned silence.

'_Isn't it rude to not properly introduce yourself to the one who hired you?'_

"I can't –wait. W-What?"

The girl went slack jawed, slouching in her chair.

Jesus. This…this _woman_ who damn near blew her head off…was the one who hired her?

Ignoring the dumbstruck expression on Ruby's face, Neo continued scribbling on the blank canvas with a practice hand. She grinned toothily and shoved the note book into her face, gleefully forcing her to read the elegant, cursive words.

'_Now. Let's do this the correct way, shall we?'_

Neo teasingly pointed the gun at her, a gleam of excitement visible in the two different colored irises.

'_Don't be shy.' _The words read. '_I don't bite...much.'_


End file.
